Supporting device for accordions and like musical instruments



A. MORA April 17, 1962 SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR ACCORDIONS AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 27, 1957 INVENTOR.

QNToNIo MOEH RTTO RNEY rates My present invention relates to a supporting device for accordions and like musical instruments.

Heretofore accordions have been carried by the player by means of straps fastened over the shoulders of the player to hold the accordion in convenient position for playing. This permitted freedom or" movement for the player which is desirable but imposed a considerable weight which, with playing over a long time is tiresome.

My present invention provides a support for carrying the accordion, thus relieving the player of the burden of its weight, but permitting the necessary freedom of movement.

In my invention, the support comprises a base and an upright standard having a bracket from which the accordion may be suspended. The standard has a joint of resilient material so that the upper part is normally held upright but may be swayed in all directions freely in accordance with the movements of the player. On the upper part of the standard is also mounted a plate having a portion normal to the plane of the bracket and curving slightly away from the bracket to accommodate the upper or chest portion of the players body. The plate need not be symmetrical to the plane of the bracket but preferably extends more to the left than to the right of the plane of the bracket.

In use, the accordion is hung from the bracket in front of the plate and the player stands back of the plate. The players arms may then extend forwardly one adjacent one side edge of the plate and the other adjacent the other side edge to bring the fingers onto the accordion keyboard. As the player sways from one position to another to accommodate his fingers to the keyboard or for other reasons the plate, being against his body and between his arms, moves with him, the resilient or flexible part of the standard permitting a free and facile movement throughout the usual limit of movement. The accordion, being supported on the bracket in convenient position for playing, moves with the movements of the player.

The various features of my invention are illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an accordion supporting stand embodying a preferred form of my invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the standard, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a modified form of the standard.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the supporting device is provided with a base from which the lower part 11 of a supporting standard extends upwardly. An upper part 12 of the standard is mounted in a resilient joint 13 which holds the upper part normally upright in alignment with the lower part 11 but permits limited tilting of the upper part in all directions. To this end, the upper part of the lower part is provided with a collar 14 which forms a socket to receive a hollow plug 15 of a resilient plastic such as vulcanized rubber composition into which the lower end of the upper part fiiS lightly.

At the upper end of the part 12 a forwardly extending bracket 16 is secured, the bracket preferably having projections 17 spaced to receive a strap of an accordion. Also secured rigidly to the upper part of the part 12 in back of the bracket is a plate 18 extending sidewise on each side of the standard. The plate preferably extends farther to the left than to the right as the bellows of the accordion is at the left and in playing may be extended farther to the left. The plate is preferably bent rear- Wardly at each side edge to fit the body of the player.

The modification shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 1 except that the upper part 12 of the standard has a rearward bend as at 19 so that the weight, of the accordion may be more nearly in line with the base of the standard.

In use, the player stands against the rear side of the plate 18 with his arms about the side edges and extending to the keyboard of the instrument. The plate therefore follows the movements of the player, the accordion also following these movements. In this way the player has complete freedom of movement in all directions while being relieved of the weight of the accordion. The resilient joint 13 is particularly advantageous as it normally holds the upper part of the standard upright but permits tilting in all directions within limits without significant efforts on the part of the player. In FIG. 2 the normal position of the upper part 12 of the standard is shown in full lines and the position when tilted being indicated in broken lines.

FIG. 2 also shows a modification in which the base is provided with a vertical screw 20 and the lower end of the standard is provided with an internally threaded socket to receive the screw. By screwing the standard upwardly or downwardly on the screw its height may be adjusted.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Supporting apparatus for accordions which comprises a base, a standard extending upwardly from said base and having a bracket projecting therefrom adjacent its upper end to hold an accordion, a plate mounted on the standard adjacent said bracket and on the opposite side of said standard from said bracket, said plate being curved convexly to said bracket, said standard comprising a lower part mounted on said base and an upper part and a coupling between said lower part and said upper part and comprising a resilient element between said lower and upper parts to permit deflection of said standard from a vertical position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said coupling comprises a collar supported by said lower part to receive the lower end of said upper part and of a diameter to provide an annular space between said collar and said upper part, and a mass of resilient material in said annular space to support said upper part in upright position and to permit deflection of said standard from said upright position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said lower part is externally screw threaded at its upper end portion and said collar is internally threaded and screwed onto said lower part to provide vertical adjustment of said collar and upper part on said lower part.

4. The supporting apparatus of claim 1 in which said base comprises a platform on which the user of the supporting apparatus may stand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,806 Bard Sept. 14, 1897 725,458 Levy Apr. 14, 1903 1,270,004 Chappell June 18, 1918 1,914,348 Whitehouse' June 13, 1933 2,218,142 Becker Oct. 15, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,995 Great Britain Dec. 24, 1947 962,046 France Nov. 28, 1949 

